It was on the car when I purchased it and I'd like to fix it.. do you think it's something I could do or would a paint shop need to get at it?

It's on the hood and is ~3/4 of an inch tall. Width is ~half an inch. Any thoughts?

 

Repairing small / medium paint chip
1. Sand area to enable paint to ‘key’
2. Clean area with isopropyl alcohol
3. Over fill the chip by painting a thin coat allow to dry, repeat
4. Wet-sand the area with 3000 grit finishing paper
5. Polish wet-sanding marks with suitable polish

Or take it to a body repair shop you trust and they will repair and blend

 

To fix this properly, you'd have to repaint. You can do a spot blend, and if the painter is good, it can be done right. Spot blending is basically painting an area larger than the defect and then reshooting the clear.

If your abilities are comprehensive, you can try the process of filling, sanding, and polishing the area yourself. But unless you feel comfortable and have the correct tools, I'd leave this to a professional.

 

What type of car (ie what type of paint? Multistage clear coated? Can't tell from the photo. Can you take a photo with something next to it for comparison, say a paper clip?

For the best repair, I think repainting is the only choice. But I have had some pretty good luck filling it with primer, applying paint to it (with clear mixed in) and using a product like Langka to even it out. It will not be perfect, but will be better than what you currently see.

 

I agree